ANNA'S ODE TO COWGIRLS AND THEIR BOOTS

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ANNA'S ODE TO COWGIRLS AND THEIR BOOTS

For my lifelong obsession with cowboy boots, I have my late grandmother to thank. This long-running love affair was inspired by hours spent listening to D-I-V-O-R-C-E after being picked up from my [London] school, or some lady cheerfully singing something about working 9 to 5. In short, Dolly Parton’s nasal melodies and twangy Southern accent were enough to make me wish I could don a stetson and spurs and yee-haw to my heart’s content.

I remember waltzing, at the tender age of 14, into Barratts, and picking up a solid pair of nubuck suede boots that – to me – closely resembled what I’d seen on Toy Story’s very own cowgirl, Jessie. I also remember, about six years later, being heart broken when I realised my feet had grown by one whole size (and worryingly, they’re still growing) and realising that I’d need to part ways with my Barratts.

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Thankfully, fashion has its own longstanding relationship with Western dress – we’ve all flirted with fringing from time to time, or donned a cowboy hat at a festival, right? And so it was to be that I’d have many more encounters with what was my boot version of a spirit animal. Oh, to think of all the years I’d wish for just a pair of those authentic embroidered shoes I’d see in the windows of Our Soles on the Kings Road. Sadly, my pocket money never stretched quite that far.

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And now, thanks to Balenciaga's Creative Director, Demna Gvasalia, I think it’s safe to say that street style stars the world over share my love of Jessie’s favourite kicks. They’re pretty much everywhere you turn, from H&M to Sandro to Vetements, and boy am I glad. I’m not one to buy what everyone else has, but is it the same thing if you loved them first?

You can imagine my elation when I saw those over the knee babies sashay down the Vetements runway, but you can also imagine my sorrow at realising I’d never be able to afford them. The exaggerated inward heel, the oversized leg width... I had to have them. Only, I needed to find another £1,000 of disposable income or I’d never have them. Mercifully – and please forgive the gloating that’s about to come – we fashions have the privilege of previewing sample sales. You know what that means: thank you, Browns Fashion, for my cut price Vetements – I’ll treasure them forever.

Image credit: Moeez Tali

In short, reasons I love cowboy boots are:
1) You can say yee-ha in them
2) If it’s good enough for Vetements...
3) Dolly Parton wore them, and that’s cool
4) They make your legs look skinnier
5) See point 4) - do we need any other reason?!